


Project: Insanity

by orphan_account



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Abuse, Blood, Blood and Injury, Crying, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Gore, Mind/Mood Altering Substances, Minor Original Character(s), Not Beta Read, Older Dib (Invader Zim), Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Tags Are Hard, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-12 23:16:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21484444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dib had been 'diagnosed' by a specialist at his father's lab as being clinically insane after his father couldn't deal with hearing him talk about the paranormal anymore, and after seeing what he had done to himself, he decided it was time to do something for his 'poor insane son'.He had been send to Membrane Labs to help research for a cure for insanity and after weeks of not coming to skool, Zim was starting to get worri- Bored, and decided to investigate.
Relationships: Dib & Gaz (Invader Zim), Dib & Professor Membrane, Dib & Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 143





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic like ever ,please be patient with me, I am also new to the IZ fandom soooooo....  
Also did this on a whim and this may contain more chapters? Very slow must I say, if you can give me any advice on writing or constructive criticism, thanks!  
-  
Just so y'all know, we wont get right into the beef, I'll have some building to do before I get to it, just to get the atmosphere going and see if this fic is really going somewhere.  
-  
**WARING:SELF-HARM, ABUSE**

Third-person PoV

Dib was shaking in fear, trying to clean up the blood dripping from his arm as he heard the heavy but fast approaching footsteps that could only belong to one person in that household, Professor Membrane, coming for what he could only assume was his bedroom door. _"What did I do?!_"

He fumbled with the paper towels on his bed side, managing to clean up the blood on his arms and hide the razor sharp blade in his drawer, sliding it shut with quaking hands as three strong knocks on the door that made him jump "_shit shit shit-_" rushing him take the black mysterious mysteries hoodie near him and put it on faster to hide the evidence.

"Son?" Called out the ever confident voice of the one and only, Professor Membrane.

"Y-yes dad?" He responded, his voice wavering.The man in question opened the door, expression unreadable throught his thick goggles as he approached his son, who was cradling his left arm to his chest gingerly and discreetly.

"I am here to talk to you about..." Hesitation. It's never good, especially with his father. "I want to talk to you about your obsession with the **paranormal**, it has been getting really out of hand, making up lies about bruises and how they were made by that '**alien**' who is in reality just that poor exchanged student named Zim with that weird skin condition, you need to stop and take a hard look at the reality Dib, if you won't stop I will need to take action" He could hear the anger behind the words he put accent on, spitting them out of his mouth as if they physically caused him pain.

The teen looked at his father with wide eyes, cowering slightly to the attitude of his father, but he didn't understand what take action ment."T-take action.... what do you mean?" He squeezed his left a arm a little tighter unknowingly as Professor Membrane put a heavy gloved hand on his son's right shoulder "...." he squeezed it almost painfully "Keep you safe from others." _**And others from you**,_ it went unsaid as Dib was slowly getting suffocated by the tension in his room, he held his breath as tears pricking at the edges of his eyes, looking down at his dark blue socks like they became the most exciting creature in the history of ever, "_Don't cry. Don't cry! Don't let him know how weak you really are!_" the anxiety in his brain hissed.  
His father sighed as he released his grip on the shoulder of his son and stood up and started walking towards the door of his room, looking over his shoulder once and then leaving the poor boy prey to his demons once again.

He sighed, the tension leaving his body as he slumped down on the cover of the bed,  
"_What does he mean by take action?_"  
the teen layed there pondering as he sighed shakingly, raising his arm to look at it, hidden away by the hoodie sleeve.

Peeling off the slightly wet piece of cloth up to his elbow he took in the damage, taking a sharp breath in at the sight of his arm.  
It was covered in cuts, going all around his arm, like a twisted bracelet of silver and copper twine, combining in colour and singing songs of anguish, the only thing breaking the dark design were lines drawn horizontally, fresh and making the older cuts in different stages of healing weep once again that crimson liquid almost sluggishly. He slowly traced one of the newer, horizontal cuts, blood of the consistency of jelly leaving a red trail behind his thumb, on the 'canvas' that was his arm with drying blood on it.  
He went to the bathroom, and did his nightly routine, washing the blood of off his arm, hands and long hoodie sleeve that almost swallowed his fingers, riding them of the blood and wiping them clean, not even bothering to change his clothes or bandage his own arm, knowing he would stare in the mirror at his own self mutilated body for hours on end, judging every part of himself.

He went to his bed and promptly fell down onto it face first, not caring of his left arm as the cuts on it cried in pain and protest.  
He sat there several minutes in dead silence, his mind deathly silent before he slipped into a nightmarish sleep.


	2. Nightmarish mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib has a nightmare and gaz is not helping.  
Next chapter is gonna be.... SKOOL!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote chapters in advance, but I dont wanna get em all out at once....  
Just to clear some things up  
Italics are thoughts, bold is words with an accent on  
And bold italics are things that go unsaid.  
Hope you like this chapter and I'll try to update once in 2 days (hold myself from updating more)

_ **nightmare sequence begin** _

Dib woke up again... on the floor? He was laying down on something. He snapped open his eyes, seeing he was laying on his side, a lone, cold and dim beam of light came from where he was sat, just enough so that he could see he was in a room, a big one.

He looked around and got up, his face pinched in worry as he examined his surroundings. "H-hello? Anybody...?"  
He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Gaz? D-dad? ZIM?" His hands dropped at his sides as he began walking on shaking legs, and heard a wet slapping sound.  
He jolted and looked around, it stopped as soon as he ceased walking...  
He walked again, the slapping sound began.  
He looked around trying to find the source, until he caught sight of the floor.  
It was.... moving, the only indicator being the light reflecting off of it was moving also "w-whats.... ha-ape-"  
He got interrupted as a midnight black hand with claws erupted from the 'floor' and grabbed at his ankle with a deathly grip. He raised his leg trying to shake it to get the arm off, but as soon as he put his leg down again three more sprouted and grabbed at his upper leg, calf and ankle.

  
"H-help!" More hands were clutching at his legs, as their talons ripped throught his jeans and left weeping cuts in their awake.  
He slowly started getting dragged down by them, feet going into the stone cold black substance, more and more hands grabbing him, by the waist and shoulders as the poor 17 year old flailed around, trying to escape "HELP ME P-PLEASE! HeLp!"

Choked sounds left him as a hand grabbed him by the neck, slowly sinking him little by little into the floor.  
He was waist deep, crying and trying to rip the hands that were keeping him hostage.  
He finally looked up into the light, seeing multiple familiar faces, that were blurred by his tears. His dad, gaz, multiple agents from the swollen eyeball network and..... all the skool children behind them, all with varying grades of disappointment on their faces "Please help me...."  
With that last cry of help he got submerged in the black goop, hearing multiple hisses of harsh words "crazy, insane, useless, good for nothing," the last being from his own father.

  
"My poor insane son...."

_ **nightmare sequence end** _

He awoke with a start, jumping up in his bed, his mouth in a silent scream.  
"**SHUT THE FUCK UP DIB!**" Hiss-yelled the voice of his sister from downstairs.

  
Not so silent then.

  
He closed his mouth, shivering from the sweat covering his body as he threw the cover off of himself.  
He got up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom,the only clean hoodie being a grey one with a cartoonish ghost on it, he sighed and picked it up, along with a pair of black skinny jeans.  
He closed the bathroom door behind him as he heard another yell "DIB HURRY YOUR LAZY ASS UP OR YOUR GONNA BE LATE FOR SKOOL!"

  
And then the sound of the front door being slammed could be heard.  
He sluggishly peeled off the clothing from last night, trying not to stare at the silver thin words carved in his own tights as he peeled off the left hoodie sleeve that had dried blood stuck to his arm and cuts.  
He hissed curses under his breath at the stinging sensation of them being opened again.  
He threw the hoodie on the floor near his sweatpants and searched in the cabinet under the sink for the first aid kit, finding it and gathering the disinfectant and bandages.Doing quick work of his arm he wrapped it up and continued his morning routine.

  
He got out of the bathroom 17 minutes later, arm throbbing with a dull ache as he got to the door, backpack on his shoulder and tied his shoe laces.  
What a nightmarish morning it was.

  
Well, off to skool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Dib interacts with the great ZIIIIM


	3. Off to Skool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Dib gets to school and Zim is definitely not concerned, just confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UhHHhHh, I just can't stop writing and posting?? I like always write a chapter in advance before posting one.  
And idk I think I got my posting schedule figured out?  
1 chapter in a day or 2 seems about right and doesn't do me harm, whaddya say?

Third-person PoV

Dib got to skool 34 minutes late, out of breath and sweating once again as he knocked on the homeroom door, opening it and going to his seat in front of the class, only acknowledging the stare of round lavender eyes looking at him in bewilderment with a dead-eyed stare of his own.  
Mrs. Bitters speech of doom continuing once again as the scythe haired kid buried his head in his arms, not wanting to deal with anything.

  
He could feel the aliens stare burning on his head.

"_What does he want?_"

** _Earlier with zim_ **

He tapped his three clawed hand on the desk impatiently "_Where is that Dib-thing?!_"  
He hissed to himself while glaring at the board.

"_He's 7 minutes late, but his sister-unit is here. Where is that pathetic baby worm?!_"

15 minutes late. Zim growled slightly "_who does he think he is?! Not coming to skool, the nerve..._"

25 minutes late and Zim was starting to get fidgety in his seat, what could be keeping Dib from coming to skool? If he could survive an elite irken invader he could survive anything, so **what** was happening...?

37 minutes into the lesson and the Dib-thing barges into the classroom, looking dead on his feet with black bags under his eyes, pale skin and slow movements.

He looks like shit, period.

Zim started at him, being the only one that gave him more attention then the others. He was surprised when he was the only one Dib looked in the eye, with the most utter look of defeat in them, he could see a small spark of determination behind those glasses, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

The rest of the lesson Zim started at Dib, who had put his big head in his arms and down on the desk. Were those.... _were those bandages_ peeking from under his left hoodie sleeve? What could have done such damage to his Dib that he needed to bandage himself, even with the wounds from their fights he didn't bandage, so what was it?

As the bell sang it's horrible screech the skool children gathered their books to go to the lockers to get the other ones.

Dib didn't as much as move a muscle, not even acknowledging he was left alone in the room with his enemy, Zim.

  
As Zim got up from his seat and started stomping towards Dib's, the one in question dazedly raised his head, glasses falling off if his nose and looked at Zim tiredly.

  
"DIB-STINK! Why were you late to skool? Afraid of Zim's mighty plans to destroy this ball of filth?!" The alien announced loudly.

  
"I-wha... Zim?" The boy looked around confused and then pushed the glasses back in place "Is homeroom o-over?"   
"Jeez_ I slept thru it all._"

"**DON'T IGNORE ZIM YOU DIB-WORM!**"

The boy flinched at the raised voice, looking down at the floor "n-no zim... I am just tired... that's all"

"Tired from fighting that beast right?!"  
Now he was really confused, _what beast??_  
"What.. what do you mean Zim?"  
"Well you wrapped your arm in bandages, from wounds of course, and you don't even do that when the mighty **ZIIIM** injures you!"  
The teenager's eyes widened as he pulled down his left hoodie sleeve, cuts screeching in pain as anger flashed in his eyes for a split second.   
"**WHY**\- Why would you care?! And it's none of your concern for a matter of fact! You said it yourself, you injured me so you have **NO** right to know who else does!" He turned his back and started putting his books in his backpack, desperately wanting to get out of this situation.

Zim was really confused, why wouldn't Dib go on and proudly say he defended the earth from some kind of monster? Rub it in his face that he could take down something that mighty... and how he phrased it made his squiddlysplooch feel sick "_no right to know who else does_"  
"I have the right to know because...." he tried to grip at any reason as to make Dib spill his secrets.

"**Because** I, Zim, will be your future slave-master and you should respect Zim for he is superior!" He grabbed Dib by his left wrist, noticing him flinch, whine pitifully and try to pull his arm away.  
"Z-zim... please stop.."   
"NO! You will show Zim what that beast could do to you!"

He wanted answers, and he wanted them **now**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok sooOOoOo.  
When I think I am out of ideas an idea pops up, but how to make it less cringy?
> 
> Oh well.  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave a kudos and a comment! They keep me going and warm my tiny little bebe heart.  
And please give me any kind of constructive criticism, please and thank you!  
(If you saw the thing with SmexySphagget in the comments font mind it, it's just a friend who didnt even read chapter one- so, scuse her)


	4. Answers and Sugar Sweet Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Answers and the duo get out of skool uneventfully and go to Zim's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait- I had to learn for exams and tests and was pretty worn out when I had the time, maybe I'll make it so I post 1 chapter a week? I dunno, hope you enjoy!

Third-person PoV 

Dib looked down at Zim, expression raw and pinched in pain.  
"I don't wanna be here anymore..."

  
"Ok, then let's go to Zim's base then!" Blurted Zim out like an idiot.

  
A few seconds of shocked silence passed and both were confused, the other was being nice?  
Dib nodded and slipped his backpack onto his shoulder.

"L-lead the way..?"

  
"Of- OF Course!"

Zim marched proudly in front of him, still holding his wrist, but more gently this time.  
"**BUT**\---! You **WILL** tell Zim who harmed you!"

"..." 

"A-alright..."

And so they left skool uneventfully, no one paying any attention to them.  
The walk to Zim's base was awkward, Dib looking down at his feet all the while and Zim trying to sneakily take peeks of Dib's bandaged arm.  
He still had a hold onto his wrist.  
He could just rip off the hoodie sleeve off and look then and there.  
So what was holding him back?  
Ah, human emotions of course. Fuck them!  
Still, he held off of ripping his sleeve to shreds...

Until they arrived at his base, of course.

  


  


An uneventful walk after, they were in front of Zim's house door, guard gnomes looking in their direction.  
Dib didn't even seem to acknowledge that they've arrived.  
"Stop thinking in the clouds you stink worm!"

That seemed to snap him out of it, as he smiled a little.  
"It's 'head in the clouds' not 'think in the clouds' Zim. And it fits cuz' you are so short, I look like I'm in the clouds from how tall I am compared to you, right?" A chuckle from the boy and a growl from the alien and Zim dragged Dib in his house, throwing the itchy disguise to the floor as his metallic spider like legs sprouted from his Pak.  
And he was towering over Dib. "Not so tall now, HUH?" A nervous look overtook Dib's face.  
"S-sorry.."

  
"**OK, WHAT ON IRK HAPPENED TO YOU?! YOU NEVER APOLOGISE OR BACK DOWN!!**"

"S-sor---" He interrupted himself and raked a hand throught his hair anxiously.

Zim approached Dib, still at his intimidating stature, and grabbed his left arm before it could lay once again at his side and then tore the sleeve with his sharp claws, leaving it in tatters.  
"W-what the hell dude?!"  
Dib tried to wiggle his arm out of the irken's grasp but couldn't and as a result managed to reopen some of his deeper cuts.  
"Let. Me. **GO**!"

The irken in question lowered himself on the ground, Pak legs disappearing as he took a more gentle hold on his arm, noticing the fresh pinkish stain of blood colouring the white bandages.

And then came the silent question.  
"Who did this to you?"

  
"..."

  
His voice soft "Who did it Dib?"

"I-... I did" came the even quieter response accompanied by a whimper, they started to hurt again.

A look of shock overcame the alien's face, why would he do that?  
"Why Dib?"

"T-to.. to calm down..." His voice small and embarrassed, now that he said it out loud, it seemed almost laughable.

** _But it wasn't._ **

"I-i did it to stop my own mind from tearing apart at my sanity."

"So I could stop the v-voices..."

The irken gently pet the bandaged wrist with one of his fingers, expression unreadable.  
"Let me see."

"N-... fine...."  
The boy grabbed the other's wrist, dragging him to the couch as he plopped down.  
He started slowly unwrapping the bandage with shaking hands, unveiling the bloodied material.  
"P-please don't hate me..."

The long, thin material fell to the floor.

"Why... why would I Dib?"

"B-b'cause.. it's disgusting... what I did to myself..."

  
Dib sniffled, using his other hand to rub at his watery eyes.

  
"I dont want you to do it anymore. If you feel the need to fight, at least fight with someone in person, not with yourself."

Zim hopped of off the couch and went to the elevator disguised as a trash can, his expression unreadable.

"Come to my lab and let me patch you up."  
He left no room for discussion as he went down the hole.

Dib slowly picked himself up, having to get steady on his feet when a wave of dizziness hit him as he made his way to the secret elevator.  
"_I wasn't expecting that answer from him really.... I mean, he's the one that never, EVER called me crazy, maybe I can put a little hope in him..._"

As he arrived at the lab he could see Zim in front of an observation table, taking things out of what looked like a human med kit, and.... some irken medicine?  
He slowly approached the alien a.d awkwardly cleared his throat.  
"Z-zim..?"  
A hum of acknowledgement.  
"W-where should I... sit?"

"_Oh god is it to much to ask to sit somewhere?! But I see a needle and if he plans on seeing some of the cuts shut then I don't want to make him mad by shaking to much!_"

  
"Stop thinking so anxiously, Zim can almost hear your thoughts, and irkens can't do that. Just sit on the observation table."

  
Dib held in a breath, and climbed on the cold metal that was the observation table, and sat down.  
The irken hopped on next to him on the table, and took the medical supplies needed to disinfect the cuts, sew them, bandage then and.... butter it?  
"_I swear that looks like vanilla cream. What even is it?_"   
As Zim stated disinfecting the boy's wounds he gathered enough courage to ask what the suspicious cream in the small jar was.

  
"Oh, it's just an irken numbing cream."

"Is it safe for.. h-humans?"

"Of course! If not Zim wouldn't risk to harm Dib-stink"  
It seemed like he was to engrossed in his task at hand to have realised what he said, and something that was so nice for Dib to hear.

"T-thank you-uUu!" He yelped as the disinfectant got into one of his deeper cuts, making it start itch and burn.

The alien sent an waring growl to stop moving so much.

That seemed to do the trick as Dib siffed, trying not to move as Zim went close the deeper cuts with a needle and thread.  
It wasn't a pain that was unbearable, but it certainly was uncomfortable, just feeling the needle, going through his skin again and again combined with the slight ache from the disinfectant was not pleasant.  
In the least.

The next few minutes were filled with awkward silence and slight hisses of pain from the human.  
As the alien finished sewing his cuts he leaned to get the small jar and opened it, and took a small amount, his other three fingered hand extending in front of himself, waiting for Dib to put his arm in it.

The boy recently did and as soon as the arm landed in the others hold, he started spreading the cold cream over his cuts.

Dib shiver at the cold feeling that started getting warmer as it stayed on his skin, as it fastly chipped away at the pain.

"T-this cream is really good Zim!" 

"Hmph. Of course it is! It's irken, so that's why!"

The irken closed the small jar and wrapped a clean bandage on the others arm, then started gathering the medical supplies and sat back down in front of Dib on the cold observation table.

"OW!"  
Dib helped as he got dab smacked in the forehead with a small plastic bag.  
As he regained his bearing he also saw zim being handed one by his pak legs, but friendlier.

"Why'd you have to throw it? And what IS it?"   
He picked up the bag and looked at it, "it" clearly being an irken snack which was probably tooth rotting sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene will continue in next chapter, then well really pick up the peace and start setting the plot good baby


	5. Calm before the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing where we left off and things get more tangled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know I haven't been updating regularly but I tried making this chapter longer as a Christmas gift, so hope you enjoy!

Third-person PoV

"It is an irken delicacy! Only the most elite get to have it, and of course, I, **ZIM**, will have it!"

"Uh-huh." Dib cautiously opened the small bag, a sweet almost cotton candy like smell hitting him in the face. He grabbed one of many little candies from the bag, examining it.

"So why do I get to enjoy this 'irken delicacy'?"

"Because I have accumulated knowledge of pathetic human worm babies, and know that if one loose an significant amount of blood they need **SUGAR**! Be grateful!"

Dib felt kinda touched and creeped out at the same time, why would Zim want to learn about the human body? Well at least he knew what to do to not have an passed out Dib laying around.

"Thank you Zim... for everything you did for me..."

Dib looked down and stared at the metal of the operating table, not wanting to meet the sharp raspberry-red eyes of his rival? Friend? He didn't know.

"Wh-well... Of course you are grateful for Zim's help! You would be the only pathetic hyuman that would recognize and be thankful for such pitiful thing on this planet!"

The younge boy blushed ever so slightly, was this Zim's way of complimenting?

He put the small candy in his mouth, moaning slightly at the divine taste of something akin to black berries and dark chocolate.

"WH- **WHY** DiD you groWl aT me?!"

Dibs eyes snapped open, not even realizing he closed them.

"G-growl? No, no! Humans can't growl! What do you m-mean Zim??" 

"The thing you did in your throat Dib, don't pretend you don't know!"

Then it clicked.

"O-oh! No... t-that's... that's called... m-moaning.. I did it because I liked the sweet you g-gave me?"

He blushed brighter, embarrased because he had to explain that to Zim.

"Hmmm, well then... if you like something you.. do the moaning?"

"W-well it's for... that and.... certain things that I am not willing to explain!" that gained him a pout from his alien.

"Fine then, keep your secrets! Let's go to the couch, I read that it's good for hyumans to have a change in scenery!"

The irken jumped off the table, candy bag in his three fingered hand as he walked towards the elevator with Dib in tow.

"Uhhhh.. alright?"

Dib hugged his bag of candy to his stomach, his right hand unconsciously caressing the his bandaged arm.

Once in the elevator they both got in, if not a little squished.

"Did you really have to rip my hoodie in tatters Zim?" He raised his left bandaged arm, the hoodie sleeve barley holding itself by bare threads around it.

"**Yes.**"

"Alright Zim, I'm just gonna take it off because it tickles me in a weird way."

\------

He was a little mad at first but he calmed down, not being able to hold the grudge against someone who actually helped him and didn't call him insane.

As they arrived in the kitchen Zim went to the couch while Dib stayed a little behind to take off the ruined piece of clothing and ball it in his hand, then threw it past Zim and onto the couch.

The alien's antennas raised up. 

"You nearly hit me Dib-thing!"

"So they do in fact act like an animal's ears!"

"DON'T COMPARE ME TO THOSE BALLS OF FILTH!!"

"Oh come on Zim I saw that you fed and pet a cat around here."

"Wh- **SHUT UP!**"

"Alright Zim."

Zim plopped down onto the couch with Dib following suit a few centimeters away.

Zim grabbed the remote and turned the TV on while Dib was still snickering to himself.

"But now I really gotta know zim, are they, in fact like animal ears?"

Zim looked away, closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hmph! As if I'd tell you such thing!"

Dib smiled excitedly and it felt so weird, how long hasn't he smiled like that for?

"Pleeeeease??"

"**FINEEE**! UGH.... _those damned eyes!"_ "Crust you Dib!"

Dib's eyes seemed to shine brighter then before.

"Thank you! So do they act like a cat's ears? Do they represent what your emotional state is? Are they sensitive to something???" 

He was so excited that he could get to learn more of his alien friend, and he was willing to share!

"Ugh, stop with the question storm Dib! And no, they are not alike a cat's, yes they display emotion and yes they can feel! There, satisfied?"

That seemed to intrigue him further.

"No like a cats?? Then how are they like, are they like a bug's antenna? Do they have micro hairs that are sensitive to touch??"

"**FOR IRKS SAKE DIB!** One question at a time you stink worm!"

"And yes, they have micro hairs! Now shut up and enjoy this frenemy time!" That sentence seemed to sober him up.

"Alright alright.... but once I leave will it all go back to... to how it was..?" His smile slowly faded away, leaving a fake one instead that was barley holding on.

Zim started panicking at this, he wanted Dib to smile like that again! "Uh- **UH** of course not! Someone clearly has to take care of you baby worm and your family unit is clearly not doing so!"

That calmed Dib down, letting him relax and smile a little again, but not at the same intensity. 

"_**Pathetic, having to leech off of the first persons approval just because they were merciful with you.**_" 

He zoned out, eyes unfocusing and smile fading once again, why do the voices have to ruin his happiness?

He drifted away in the dark corner of his mind where his demons screamed loudest.

"_**SO WEAK!! YOU CAN'T EVEN HOLD YOUSELF TOGETHER. HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'LL KEEP ZIM AROUND IF YOU'RE THIS PHATETIC?!**_"

Screeched the loudest voice in his mind, followed by a chorus of insults from the quieter ones.

"....!"

".....b!"

"...ib!"

"..**DIB!!**"

Zim's voice regained its clarity, having been lost to a whirlpool of dirty water that muddled his mind.

"Y-yes..? I- sorry... I got lost in my h-head.."

The aliens lips thinned as he squinted his eyes at him.

"Lost in your mind for what?" He hissed quietly. 

"U-uhh..."

"_If I tell him for sure he'll call me crazy too!..... but he didn't untill now.... But who would hear voices in their mind if they weren't crazy?! But I sure am not! I'm just.... I'm.... maybe he won't... I mean hes an alien an-_"

"HELLOOOO?? DIB! Stop getting lost in there, and what are you thinking?!"

"U-uh... well... there are these... v-voices... that are really.... m-mean to me..."

Zim made a confused face for a few seconds then his raspberry red eyes squinted.

"Voices? Did you get infested by something?? Is some virus using your body as a host?!"

"Heh... it's not a virus, it's called d-depression, you surely must have heard of it... it can make your mind... turn itself on you, make your thought twisted and ration stained."

Zim bless his 'innocent' soul. "Then how do you get rid of it??? I ORDER YOU TO STOP BEING DEPRESSION!!"

That made the boy chuckle, this alien could be so innocent to human customs.

"It's not that easy Zim... I have to take pills to help get rid of it... And even then it doesn't go away fully..."

"Well then take the pills???"

"_It surely can't be that hard can it? He's the strongest human that graced my presence on this filth ball!_"

"W-well... they make me... weak... and dizzy... and really out of touch with reality, and I don't like taking them..."

"Hm, I see, then how else to get rid if it??"

"I- I dunno Zim... try to be positive and power thru it?" He gave a small chuckle.

He was kind of relieved Zim didn't think he was crazy, now that he thought about it... Zim wasn't insulting him that much and actually being nice to him!... but what changed?

\------

They continued on the afternoon, both of them just relaxing in each other's presence and talking without a real purpose while watching TV.

As the hours rolled by Dib had to go home, he didn't want anyone to think he skipped skool and result in getting more trouble.

"I have to go Zim, I don't want anyone to find out I skipped skool."

"But it was for a good reason Dib-thing! You were hurt so I healed you, isn't that a good enough reason to skip skool?"

"W-well.... they don't know so.... it's not..." his voice got quieter as he spoke.

"**FINE**! But you will come to skool tomorrow and let me see you again, so I can take care of you!

"W-why?" Dib got up form the couch and stretched out

"Well I can't let m- **IRk**en property to get damaged!" Zim got up after Dib, evening out the creases on Dib's hoodie that he was wearing, claiming it was 'cold' and his hoodie was warm enough for him.

Dib PoV

"Wh- irken- what? Anyways..." "_You know what, alright, maybe it'll be nice to have someone care about me for once._"

Dib walked towards the door, small irken in tow.

As he grabbed the handle of the door he felt a pair of arms around his waist and a head on his back. 

"Zim... what are you doing..?"

"Using human customs to raise your 'ghosts', I read that body contact helps! Now shut up before I get my claws in your torso!"

"The saying is to raise someone's spirits Zim..."

To say Dib was a little weirded out was an understatement, when did Zim read all that and mostly WHY did he read them, did he really want to help him in his own way? That made him feel really touched and he started smiling like a fool.

"Alright you green demon, let go, I have to go home..."

The 'green demon' in question hissed slightly, one reluctant to let go and one to be let go of.

Dib sighed, and opened the door, biding Zim one last goodbye before he left to go home.

\------

As he slowly walked he thought of how nice Zim had been to him, sure, he said that he just takes care of irken property, but he had a slip up that he didn't miss... did he what to say 'my' property? That doesn't make any sense! Does he have more of a superiority complex then he thought? This was all so confusing... but at least someone cared about him and his actual mental health, not if he was a danger to anyone or not...

\------

As he arrived at his home, he opened the door quietly, he knew that gaz was over at a friend's but he could never be too sure...

He walked to his kitchen cautiously, not noticing anything wrong or suspicious as he gave a sigh of relief, going to grab an apple.

"**Son.**"

He flinched and the apple went flying somewhere he didn't pay attention to.

"D-.... dad? Weren't y-you... supposed to.. be at the... l-labs?"

"**I was, untill I got a phone call from school.**"

Dib could easily figure out from his voice that he was mad, and that he was torso deep in shit.

"Y-hea?" He scratched the nape of his neck with his left arm but quickly jerked it back down when he saw the bandages on it.

"**And they said you skipped skool. And with that boy Zim.**"

"S-so... so **what** if I did! At least he care about m-me!.." Dib threw his hands out, starting to get exasperated. "Who does he think he is to just don't care about me or anything I do, then suddenly care?!"

Professor Membrane started his long but slow strides from the livingroom doorway to Dib's front.

He suddenly grabbed Dib's left arm, squeezing it in his cold fury.

"**I don't like that attitude of yours, son. You have started to get more and more on my nerves, skipping skool, going on and on about your insane childish fantasies and what's this?**"

He raised Dib's arm, giving it a more firm squeeze and receiving a whine in pain.

"**What. Is. This?**"

Dib whined and kept quiet, squeezing his eyes shut to not let any tears leak as he felt some of his smaller cuts open from the harsh treatment.

What happend next took his breath away.

Membrane was hugging him- he was actually hugging him!

"**I am sorry son...**"

That snapped Dib's eyes open as he looked at his father's shoulder.

Dib laughed as he let his tears fall in joy.

Then the relieved smile he carried was wiped off of his face and was replaced with a scared, confused and betrayed expression as he felt a cold, thin metal enter his neck.

"I am so sorry son, I could have made you better, not make a failure and I know I should h---e done-.... soon-.... or."

His breathing started to turn calm, body going lax and vision blurry and black as his dad's voice slowly started not registering anymore in his brain.

He fell into a forced rest, tears still leaking out of his eyes with one last though.

"_I won't be able to see Zim tomorrow....._"


	6. Weird Attitude and Suspicious Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something weird happened to Dib over the nigh, and Zim is determined to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, sorry for leaving you dry, school is onto my back but ill still upload, albeit like a snail.

**Zim PoV**

It was the next day and.... Dib was late... and undoubtedly Zim started getting worried about him, he told him he'll come to skool today, unless he got in trouble?

14 minutes later there was a polite knock on the door, and in came Dib- but it he was... off.

He was- energetic, had no eyebags, and his clothes were well ironed, he had his usual blue ghost shirt and.... his old black coat, he didn't wear it to school anymore since he wanted to get a new one, the other old becoming too tattered from their fights to be acknowledged as a piece of clothing anymore.

The 'odd one' sat in his seat and smiled like nothing was wrong, then pulled a book out or his bag, and started reading, he saw a glimpse of the cover of the book the title being along the lines of 'The Science Behind Sience by Prof. Membrane'

When did Dib start reading science books made by his father? Wasn't he not reading them just to spite him?

As the lesson went on and he continued observing Dib's behavior, and it seemed to get weirder and weirder.

Dib never once looked at him, seemed genuinely interested in the book, didn't doodle in his notebook, nor did he shoot dirty looks back at the kids that were looking at him and whispering like usual about him being insane and how he 'finally snapped'.

If Zim wasn't convinced by now and had a doubt Dib just turned his life upside down, Dib rolled up both his coat sleeves, revealing his **BARE** arms to the world no scars no cuts not bandages no nothing! Not even the scars he knew he left while fighting him.

\----

When lunch time rolled around Zim waited untill everyone was out of the class, leaving an 'Dib' that was giving way too much attention to a science book for his liking.

He marched towards his desk, grabbing a fist full of his blue ghost shirt.

"H-huh?"

This close Zim could see that even his glasse's frames had a deep blue colour instead of their void black one.

"Who. Are. **You**?" Zim hissed quietly in his face.

"I'm Dib Membrane- uh... you are.. Zim right?" The fake Dib squeaked out, unlike his confident real Dib.

"No you're not Dib, you clone! WHERE. IS. MY. D I B ?" He felt a little hurt, not even his clone knew who he was.

"What are you on about?! I am the real Dib!"

Zim gave a throat deep growl and threw the fake Dib onto the floor, marching towards him, two of his Pak legs sprouting out.

The fake Dib looked scared out of his mind, not an ounce of the genius tactical mind shined in his eyes that he had while fighting Zim, even when he didn't fight back he had those calculating eyes, always ready to spot weaknesses. As if he had any. Psh.

Yet this clone didn't, his eyes were full of terror, no recognition at all, now that he looked closer, even his eye colour was two shade darker! It didn't look like the honey he was used to anymore, now it was just amber with bugs in it!

Zim snarled, picking up the fake Dib by his collar, and pierced his right arm with the tip of his Pak legs.

He growled and threw him at the wall.

The fake Dib wobbled, and looked at him in fear.

"W-what are you?!"

His eyes were blown wide, pupils contracted. Did he for real not know what Zim was? Or even **WHO** he was?

If from the start Zim wasn't convinced, now he had solid proof that this was **NOT** his Dib.

He whacked the fake on on the head with his metallic spider leg, knocking him out cold.

He picked the impostor up, going around the school and throught the back doors and to his base to..... keep him for safety reasons.

\------

Zim on **EVERY** camera in Dib's house! The real Dib wasn't in his room, nor his house, **NOR** the neighborhood, but his father-unit was. He was in the kitchen, drinking coffee and answering to multiple phone calls. 

That was normal right? He was a busy man..... but why was he at home? Didn't Dib say that he was nearly **NEVER** at home? Only on the rare occasion, once a year on their family dinner. So exactly WHY was he at home? This seemed very suspicious to the little irken... and his elite solider senses were tingling.

\------

The walk to the Membrane home was uneventful, and even more so as he climbed the side of his house to enter the window to Dib's room. The window was unlocked, which it never was.

One more red flag in Zim's mental count.

As he silently dropped in the room he was greeted with an confusing sight.

**ALL** of Dib's stuff was replaced with some science bullshit! All of his posters about moth man or mysterious mysteries were gone, all of his books about cryptids, even his cryptid hunting case was gone from under his desk! Not that he knew everything and it's exact place in Dib's room, no, that was just absurd!

_ **EVEN HIS DIRTY PILE OF SOCKS FROM UNDER HIS BED WAS GONE, OH DEAR IRK!** _

They were all replaced by science stuff, more so with the stuff made by Professor Membrane about science, which was very alien to him, oh the irony.

As he inspected his room further he heard a strong voice yell something along the lines of "I DON'T **CARE**! JUST FIND A CURE——————"

This made Zim decide he should spy on him, all of this having some sort of weird connection to Dib's father.

This Dib seemed too.... the liking of his father, no paranormal stuff, all the 'real' science stuff, didn't even know who ZIM was!

This was all just so wrong.... why would his father have anything to do with this?

As he approached the stairs he stopped, taking off his wig to hear better with his antennae.

The professor's angry voice could be heard loud and clear as he was speaking on the phone with an assumed assistant.

"He broke free and started scratching himself- just sedate him! You need him calm so you're are going to **MAKE** him calm!"

"....."

"**Next time I come he better be restrained.**"

And the call ended.

WHAT. Did he just listen to?

His father wouldn't be talking about him like that! Would he?

He sat as still as a statue, the only part of him moving being his antennae, which were twitching like crazy, be it in fear or worry he didn't know, neither did he deny it.

He **HAS** to find Dib!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe i am a sadist for giving ya guys this chapter but i just wanna make my readers suffer like i do when reading other fics! :)  
Also Zim pov has more accentuated word bc Zim is extra lmao

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this didn't disturb you and if you want more, please leave kudos and comment so I know if I should continue or not, I will post more if I see that I have a positive review!


End file.
